Campaign '95 - The Issues

Q: Should parental consent be required when a minor seeks an abortion? Should a 24-hour waiting period be imposed for all women seeking abortions?

HOUSE OF DELEGATES

64th District

Debra E. Quesinberry (R)

Yes. ... In cases where family abuse is suspected, the doctor would have the ability to waive the abortion notice and must notify the proper authorities of the suspected abuse.

William K. Barlow (D) incumbent

... the decision itself should be solely that of the pregnant minor. ... in some cases, one or both parents are not appropriate adults to provide sound advice, for example, where the parent is abusive, violent, mentally ill, imprisoned, etc. In those instances some other trusted adult rather than the parent should be notified of the proposed abortion. ... The adult so advising the pregnant minor is only to be notified of the proposed abortion. ... the adult should not be allowed to stop it.

I see no good reason for the government to require an adult pregnant woman to wait another 24 hours.

74th District

Gordon Prior (R)

I favor parental notification and consent with provision for a judicial override. I favor a 24-hour waiting period.

Donald McEachin (D)

No response.

91st District

James H. "Jamie" Shoemaker Jr. (R)

Parental consent should be required when a minor seeks an abortion. Likewise, a 24-hour waiting period should be imposed for all women seeking abortions.

I. Vincent Behm Jr. (D) incumbent

Parental notification bills have passed each of the two years I have represented the 91st District, and I have supported them each year.

93rd District

Mary Sharpe (D)

I don't believe that you can legislate communication in a family where none exists. If parental notification were instituted, we would then face the possibility of pregnant children and their offspring becoming wards of the state if their parents throw them out in the streets. I would support a 24-hour waiting period.

Phillip A. Hamilton (R) incumbent

Yes. I support parental consent when an unmarried minor seeks an abortion. My position is based on the established principle that parental consent is already required for other medical surgeries and procedures, even X-rays, performed on minors. I also support a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion unless there is a life-or-death medical emergency. Since our law allows a 72-hour period for one to change their mind on the purchase of an automobile and other such purchases, and since most non-emergency surgeries take place 24 hours after the decision for surgery has been made, a 24-hour waiting period for an abortion seems reasonable and more than consistent with other public policies and procedures.

94th District

Allen Face (R)

Yes, if 1) the minor is unmarried, and 2) a judicial consent alternative is made available for cases of incest or parental abuse.

Alan A. Diamonstein (D) incumbent

I believe that a minor needs guidance before making this (and most) decisions. I voted for parental notification. The minor has up to 72 hours to give the parents notice. If, however, the minor has been abused or neglected by the parent, or if she is at risk of dying unless an abortion is performed, I support a judicial bypass.

96th District

Ralph S. Worley (R)

Yes. Parental consent is extremely important to a minor who is unmarried and seeking an abortion. If a child must have an adult's consent for all other types of surgery, then it makes common sense to require it in this instance as well. A 24-hour waiting period is common practice when surgical procedures are involved, except in a life-or-death situation.

Shirley F. Cooper (D) incumbent

I support pro-choice but I have supported and patroned bills for parental notification and family notification. The point is that a 14-year-old cannot make such an important decision on her own.

97th District

Joe Mann (R)

Yes, for unmarried minors.

Yes. A 24-hour waiting period should be minimal for all women seeking elective abortions.

George W. Grayson (D) incumbent

In theory, parental consent and waiting periods sound good but, unfortunately, they will lead to greater violence against young women and the return of back-alley abortions.

STATE SENATE DISTRICT

1st District

Marty Williams (R)

Yes, an unmarried minor must have parental consent to have an abortion. In school, a child would need a parent's permission to have an aspirin, so I think it important that a child seek parental consent to have such a life-changing procedure done. It is a parents-rights matter of the highest priority.

I also believe a 24-hour waiting period is preferable, with the exception of a life-threatening emergency.

Hunter B. Andrew (D) incumbent

I have supported parental notification when stepparents and siblings were also included but the bill was vetoed. Many times a minor does not know her biological parents, or is fearful of them, and is terrified of going before a court, when a stepparent or adult sibling is available and understanding.